William j



(No Model.)

W. J. QUINN.

LANTERN. No. 427,440. I Patented May 6. 1890.

WITNESSES N ENVENTOR fm 4 mu 9mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM J. QUINN, OF \VHEELING, VEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO THE NAIL CITY LANTERN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,440, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed January 18, 1890. $erial No. 337,389. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. QUINN, of NVheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of est Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lanterns, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a lantern provided with my improved globe-holding spring. Fi 2 is a vertical section on the line 11 II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a plan view of the holding-spring and globe, the plate 3 being omitted for clearness of illustration.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

Inthe drawings, 2 represents the glass globe of a lantern. 3 is a plate situated above the same and connected with the usual supportin g-plate at the base of the globe by vertical frame-pieces 4. The globe isremovably held in place at its upper end by aholding-spring, consisting of an annular spring-collar, which is made of elastic wire, preferably in a single piece. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3,the wire is bent into the form of a ring 5, of proper size to encircle the upper part of the globe above the annular shoulder 0 thereof, and at one side of the ring there is formed an upwardly-projecting thumb-piece or lifter (Z, which projects through a hole in the plate This thumb-piece is formed, preferably, by looping and bending the wire of the ring, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The ends e c of the wire overlap or cross each other, and

are somewhat upwardly inclined to the bottom of the plate 6, to which they are attached by soldering or otherwise.

The manner of use of the holding-springis as follows: To adjust the globe in place, the thumb-piece (Z is lifted so as to raise the spring-collar. The globe is placed under it on the usual globe-supporting plate, and by releasing the thumb-piece the globe will be held securely by the downward pressure exerted upon it by the tension of the collar.

Heretofore springcollars for holding globes have been formed of wire bent substantially in the shape of the collar shown in the drawin gs of this patent, except that the ends of the wire, instead of overlapping or extending to the plate 3 at an inclination, extended vertically from the collar and from the globe shoulder c to the plate. The collar therefore was at one side perfectly rigid and incapable of yieldin vertically to pressure exerted from below, and could only yield at the position of the thumbpiece (Z at the diametrically-opposite side; hence the globe was difficult to place in and to remove from the lantern, and the holder was adapted to receive globes of onl a certain height, so that if a globe of somewhat excessive height were placedin thelantern. the collar, owing to its rigidity at one side, would bear unevenly on the globe, and would cause the latter to tilt on the supporting-platc from its proper vertical position. \Vhen my improved holding-spring is employed, this cannot occur, because the spring will yield vertically at every point. It will therefore adapt itself readily to globes of different sizes, and enables globes to be removed and replaced more easily than is possible with the use of holding-springs heretofore known.

My invention is not limited to the application of the holding-spring to any particular style of lantern; but

What I claim is 1. A globe-holder consisting of a globe-elk circling wire made in annular form, having its ends crossing each other and secured to the plate or lantern-frame, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A globe-holder consisting of a globe-encircling wire made in annular form, having its ends crossing each other and extending at an inclination to the plate or lantern-frame to which they are secured, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of January, A. I). 1890.

WILLIAM J. QUINN.

iVitnesses:

I. 15. DOBBINS, JAMES PAULL. 

